Research Project 1

Historically, environmental reforms have always been an important part of promoting social equity in urban spaces; in this paper, I will explore different examples of how cities in the United States have produced reforms and the decision-making process behind them. Particularly, I will look at the power relations between communities and the political regimes that dictate the flow of infrastructural reforms that improve the urban environment. Further, I will address the questions and issues that these phenomena raise: for example, what is it about sustainable development as a kind of reform that induces gentrification in certain urban settings?; what must community organizations do to create holistic environmental reforms without disenfranchising longtime residents?; and why is Jane Addams such a boss? By looking at different examples of environmental reform movements throughout U.S. history and the impacts of each, I hope to answer this question as well as others.

The past couple of years have been tough with the conflicting interests between people living in urban areas and the police enforcement of the certain city. The protests throughout New York, Ferguson, and Baltimore describe how people have been feeling about police brutality in the cities. Since the people were so unhappy with the way that police were treating citizens, and they were not able to do much about it because officers hold more power from the government, rioting seemed like one of the only way to prove to the government and the police force how abused they felt by the force. Coming from the riots, the local governments decided to do something about the issue—make police officers wear cameras when on duty. This has been done in only a couple of cities, but the results have been effective. Also, the fact that people were able to make a change with the police enforcement shows that people do hold a certain power over the branch of government, and can change the norm if they feel like the officials are abusing their power.

To detail the history of the Black Lives Matter movement, I used movies and a show dated throughout American history. I started with 12 Years a Slave, followed by Selma, then Straight Outta Compton, ending with an episode of Scandal. I attempted to describe themes I felt were important to the movement, such as betrayal of powerful men, importance of music, and lack of national acceptance. I found that certain language and appearances by black people made them guilty in the eyes of the law. Detailing the injustice towards the black community as a white man was not easy, as I tried to speak as a student of the topic, not an educator. While I describe these themes on a national level, each issue can be found locally as well. The Black Lives Matter movement is not something we can identify as neutral for, you are either with the movement, or against it. Sitting around indifferently means we don’t care enough to help, it means we are dooming those who speak for equality.

Through the use of a video essay and textual support, harassment, intimidation, and bullying is viewed through the lenses of the media and a close knit community. The focus being on an New Jersey high school, Sayreville War Memorial, and the football team scandal that defined their community for the year of 2014. A hazing ritual was exposed and then swiftly put out with the work of a new Anti-Bullying Law and administrators who care about their schools image and their students well-being.

Human trafficking in Northern Virginia is a constant concern for the community. Two community powers, law enforcement and faith-based organizations, use their power help reach out to everyone in the community regarding human trafficking. Due to the lack of training law enforcement arrests the teens being trafficked rather than the pimps; creating a vicious cycle that the teens being trafficked suffer in. Faith-based organizations focus on using their power to help victims and offer any type of service to them. While both law enforcement and faith-based organizations contrast in many way, they do come together to help educate the community on human trafficking. This gives the community the power to put their voices together and put a stop to human trafficking.

The Black Lives Matter movement arose in response to the consistent murders of black men at the hands of white police officers in the United States. Since it first became a trend on social media, it has grown into a national organization with many activists, general public, and celebrities involved. Many of these celebrities include Hip Hop, Rap, and R&B artists who have created music about the movement. Through an analysis of some of these songs, I identified multiple themes, including criticism of police brutality, a collective experience and unity, the importance of African-American history, and pride in black identity.

High school boundaries in Arlington, Virginia: is there a racial and class component to the way the school boundaries are chosen and adjusted? How can this separation be accomplished?

Abstract: In this paper, I looked at three public high schools in Arlington County, Virginia: Washington-Lee High School, Wakefield High School, and Yorktown High School. There is resident talk about how Arlington is divided into whites and minorities and how this is portrayed in the schools in the area. I argued that there is a racial basis as well as class basis for the way these schools are districted. In order to prove this, I looked at the racial makeup of each school as well as each zip code in Arlington, VA. Along with race I looked at the income of the zip codes and available affordable housing in the area. I compared the findings of each zip code with the school boundaries and found that there is a racial/class separation. I then looked at who exactly has the decision making power when it comes to changing the districts as well as community response. There have been several debates in the past when it came to re-districting the schools back in 2013 and they will begin again soon as the problems they have with overcrowding in the area continue to grow but the problem of racial disparities in schools is not something talked about as often.

The URJ Kutz Camp is a leadership academy for Reform Jewish teens across North America and beyond. This camp has just one session every summer that lasts for 4 weeks. The goals and objectives of Kutz are ultimately to create future leaders to make progressions and change in the Reform Jewish movement. A focus question for this research is as follows, “how does ‘just a camp’ community empower so many young adults to progress in the Reform Jewish world?” This is an answer that was collected through various interviews and surveys administered amongst previous staff members of Kutz. Many rabbis, Jewish professionals, and Jewish stakeholders all turn back to summer camp when they reflect on their leadership growth. Empowerment amongst the staff is not only focused on the participants, but on each other and what power this camp community Kutz holds. The Kutz Camp community demonstrates that an informal structure can have significant empowerment to its staff members through the sole passion and caring for one another and camp itself.

Many inner-city students struggle every day for reasons that are not their fault. This literature review delves into the issues faced in many inner-city schools among students including aggressiveness, mental health, parent involvement, principal involvement, and the culture of violence. Many theorists make arguments about what can be done. Efforts from the principals, teachers, parents, and community stakeholders can greatly improve the overall academic ability in inner-city schools.

What happens when we shake up the norm, when we defy the standards that are set for us as a governed body of people. What happens when a black woman, a gay man, or a black man run for an office to make decisions for us? This is a cultural content analysis of what happens when someone with a different background, and different point of view; when one considered a minority is elected into a position of power. A look at common themes among very different individuals and the communities of which they serve and the resistance they faced in bringing their ideals, their hopes, and themselves to the forefront of American societies.